Rodenttcibe dispenser



March 10, 1964 E. c. HELLAND 3,124,277

RODENTICIDE DISPENSER Filed Jan. 2, 1962 7 ,2 I i /4 24 23! y/ r 23 LINVENTOR. l l 26 Elm/42a 6. #524000 BY way RM FIE. E

Arramwsrs United States Patent 3,124,277 RODENTICIDE DISPENSER Edward C.Heliand, 7138 Oakland Ave., Minneapolis, Minn.

Filed Jan. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 163,401 Claims. (Cl. 222185) The presentinvention has relation to a rodenticide dispenser and more particularlyto a dispenser for liquid rodenticides which does not tip and is easilyfilled, cleaned and maintains the rodenticide at a uniform level in adispenser trough.

Rodenticide dispensers presently on the market are cumbersome, hard totake apart and do not maintain a uniform level of rodenticide in thedispensing trough. This is especially true for liquid rodenticides,which are commonly used to control pests in homes and businessestablishments.

The present invention presents a rodenticide dispenser that is verystable when positioned for use and can readily be taken apart forfilling and cleaning. In addition, the rodenticide dispenser is providedwith a unique level control which Will maintain a uniform level ofliquid poison available for consumption by rodents.

The device is easy to make and non-breakable. In addition it is verystable when positioned on a fiat surface and will not be tipped byrodents. The level in the dispenser is maintained to keep spillage to aminimum.

It is an object of the present invention to present a rodenticidedispenser that is easy to fill and clean and will maintain a uniformlevel of liquid available for use.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a rodenticide dispenser made according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 with parts insection and parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 as viewed froma left end thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as on line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, arodenticide dispenser assembly illustrated generally at 11) includes asupply bottle or receptacle 11 which has an outwardly extending tubularneck 12 open to the interior of the receptacle 11 and providing a mouthor outlet opening 13 substantially midway along the longitudinal axis ofsaid receptacle 11 and extending at substantial right angles thereto.The receptacle 11 is made of any suitable material having the propertiesof polyethylene, which is somewhat resilient and nonbreakable. Thereceptacle can easily be molded to any desired shape, as shown it is acylindrical receptacle. The receptacle has closed opposite end panels1?, 18 and the only outlet is the tubular neck 12.

The receptacle 11 has a pair of feet members 14, 14 which are integraltherewith and extend substantially parallel to the axis of the neck 12and in the same direction as the neck 12. The foot members 14, 14 arepositioned adjacent the ends of the receptacle. A bottom edge surface 15of the neck 12 is spaced above a plane defined by the bottom edgesurface 16, 16 of the foot members 14, 14. Thus the bottom edge surface15 of the neck is spaced above a supporting surface 17 on which thereceptacle 11 is positioned.

The outer surface of neck 12 is cylindrical in shape and has an annulargroove 20 defined therein spaced from and adjacent bottom edge 15. Alevel control orifice 21 is also provided through the wall of neck 12and is positioned above annular groove 20.

A trough member 22 has a fastening ring portion 23 adapted to be slippedover the neck 12 of the receptacle 11. The fastening ring 23 has araised internal rib 24 3,124,277, Patented Mar. 10., 1964 which is ofconfiguration to fit into annular groove 20 of neck 12 and retain thetrough member 22 in position on the neck. The rib 24 is positioned sothat bottom edge surface 15 of the neck 12 is spaced from a bottom wall25 of the trough member. A part-cylindrical, open top dispenser portion26 of the trough member 22 extends outwardly from the neck 12. Thedispenser portion has a side wall 2'7 terminating on a side edge surface28 which defines a plane spaced above bottom wall 25. The dispenserportion 26 holds a quantity of liquid rodenticide.

A pair of lugs 30, 31) are provided on an opposite side of receptacle 11from legs 14, 14 and are used to support the receptacle 11 when thereceptacle is to be filled with rodenticide. Thus the receptacle can beset on a flat surface with the neck 12 extending upwardly and it willnot roll during the filling operation.

Operation When a rodenticide dispenser made according to the presentinvention is to be used, the trough member 22, which is preferably madeof a material having the properties of polyethylene, which is resilient,moldable and is nonbreakable, is removed from the neck 12 by expandingthe fastening ring portion 23 so that rib 24 slips out of annular groove21 The receptacle is rested on lugs 30, 30 and is filled with a liquidrodenticide, which is illustrated by dotted lines at 31. The troughmember 22 is then repositioned on neck 12 so that the dispenser portion26 of the trough member extends outwardly at substantially right anglesto the longitudinal axis of receptacle 11. The device is then tipped sothat the neck 12 is extending downwardly and the unit is placed inposition on supporting surface 17. The liquid rodenticide 31 will runout between the bottom edge surface 15 of neck 12 and bottom wall 25 ofthe trough member. Air will enter the receptacle 11 through orifice 21to permit the liquid to be discharged. When the level of rodenticide inthe trough member reaches the level as shown at 32 the liquid willpartially cover the orifice 21 and thus air will not be permitted toenter the receptacle 11. This will cause a cessation of flow betweenedge surface 15 and wall 25 and the level 32 will be stabilized.

As rodents consume the rodenticide 31 the level 32 drops below orifice21 and a quantity of-air will pass through orifice 21 and will form abubble inside the neck 12 adjacent orifice 21. When the bubble getslarge enough to overcome the surface tension of the liquid 31 the bubblewill break off from orifice 21 and will rise through the liquidrodenticide into receptacle 11. This will permit an equal quantity ofthe liquid rodenticide to pass under edge 15 of neck 12 and the level 32will again be raised above the orifice. By controlling the verticaldistance of the orifice above the bottom wall 25 level 32 can be set atany position. Only a small quantity of liquid is in dispenser portion 26of the trough member and thus there will be much less chance of waste orspillage.

The device as shown is highly usable and will not be tipped because footmembers 14, 14 Will hold the receptacle and trough very stable. The unitis easily disassembled for cleaning and filling and maintains apredetermined relatively low level in dispenser portion 26 to preventwaste and spillage.

What is claimed is:

1. A rodenticide dispenser comprising a substantially cylindricalreceptacle having a side surface and opposite end surfaces, asubstantially tubular neck integral with said side surface of saidreceptacle and positioned substantially midway between said opposite endsurfaces of said receptacle and extending at substantially right anglesto the longitudinal axis thereof, said neck having a terminal edgesurface and being provided with an annular groove adjacent said terminaledge surface, said neck further being provided with an orificepositioned between said terminal edge and said side surface of saidreceptacle, a trough member having a bottom wall and an integralcontinuous upwardly extending side wall terminating along a plane spacedabove said bottom wall and having an attaching ring portion integralwith said trough member adjacent one end thereof, said attaching ringportion having an internal rib engageable with said groove in said neckthereby to retain said trough member on said neck, the terminal edge ofthe neck being spaced from said bottom wall and said orifice beingpositioned within the space defined by said trough member with said ribpositioned in said groove, a pair of foot members, each integral withsaid receptacle adjacent opposite ends thereof and being ofconfiguration to support said receptacle and prevent it from tippingwith said trough member in place on said neck and positioned below saidreceptacle and resting on a supporting surface.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 and a pair of lugs, oneintegral with said receptacle adjacent each end thereof and at a side ofsaid receptacle opposite from said foot members, said lugs beingpositioned to support said receptacle with said neck extending upwardlywhen placed on a supporting surface.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said receptacle andsaid trough member are made of a material having the properties ofpolyethylene.

4. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein i said trough issemi-cylindrical and wherein it is no wider than the neck extendingoutwardly from said cylindrical receptacle.

5. A rodenticide dispenser comprising a substantially uprightreceptacle, a substantially tubular neck integral with said receptacle,said neck having a terminal edge surface and being provided with anannular groove adjacent said terminal edge surface, said neck furtherbeing provided with an orifice positioned between said terminal edge andsaid said receptacle, a semicylindrical trough member having anattaching ring portion integral therewith adjacent one end thereof, saidattaching ring portion having an internal rib engageable with saidgroove in said neck thereby to retain said trough member on said neck,the terminal edge of the neck being spaced from a bottom wall of saidtrough and said orifice being positioned within the space defined bysaid trough member with said rib positioned in said groove, saidsemi-cylindrical trough being no wider than said neck.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,573,802 Mitchell Nov. 6, 1951 2,584,383 Peck Feb. 5, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS 168,122 Australia Jan. 15, 1953

5. A RODENTICIDE DISPENSER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHTRECEPTACLE, A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR NECK INTEGRAL WITH SAID RECEPTACLE,SAID NECK HAVING A TERMINAL EDGE SURFACE AND BEING PROVIDED WITH ANANNULAR GROOVE ADJACENT SAID TERMINAL EDGE SURFACE, SAID NECK FURTHERBEING PROVIDED WITH AN ORIFICE POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID TERMINAL EDGE ANDSAID SAID RECEPTACLE, A SEMICYLINDRICAL TROUGH MEMBER HAVING ANATTACHING RING PORTION INTEGRAL THEREWITH ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, SAIDATTACHING RING PORTION HAVING AN INTERNAL RIB ENGAGEABLE WITH SAIDGROOVE IN SAID NECK THEREBY TO RETAIN SAID TROUGH MEMBER ON SAID NECK,THE TERMINAL EDGE OF THE NECK BEING SPACED FROM A BOTTOM WALL OF SAIDTROUGH AND SAID ORIFICE BEING POSITIONED WITHIN THE SPACE DEFINED BYSAID TROUGH MEMBER WITH SAID RIB POSITIONED IN SAID GROOVE, SAIDSEMI-CYLINDRICAL TROUGH BEING NO WIDER THAN SAID NECK.